KY to Receive Federal Funds for EHR

The state of Kentucky will receive a $2.6 million in federal matching funds from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to help fund the development of the state’s electronic health records incentive program.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provided a 90 percent federal match for state planning activities related to the creation of an incentive program that encourages Medicaid providers to establish electronic medical records systems, according to a CMS news release.

Electronic medical records give health care providers instant access to patients’ medical information over a secure network. When complete, the Kentucky system is expected to help health care providers coordinate patient care.

Kentucky will use the funding to analyze the progress state’s health information technology initiative, according to the release.

Officials will explore topics such as barriers to developing the records system, provider eligibility for participating in the electronic health records network and the creation of a state Medicaid health information technology plan, according to the release.

Above article publish on http://health-information.advanceweb.com/Web-Extras/EHR-Today/KY-to-Receive-Federal-Funds-for-EHR.aspx